Thieves' Guild Series (7 eBook Box Set): Military Science Fiction - Alien Invasion - Galactic War Novels

by C. G. Hatton

  “So what are you going to do?” Elliott said casually.

  It was absurd. How much more entangled could this get? “What am I going to do? This is your ship.”

  Elliott shrugged, a little half twitch of his shoulders and a sly half-smile. “Couldn’t we just settle Gallagher’s debt? Buy the ship back?”

  LC shook his head. “They don’t work like that. They’ll start to rack up interest on the down payment the minute they leave the table. Gallagher will be in debt to them for the rest of his life, which will be about twenty-four hours when they find out the ship’s not even his. Like he isn’t in enough trouble as it is. Christ, if they don’t kill him, Mal Donnelly will.”

  “So how much do you need? How much cash do you need to get into the game?”

  “Elliott…” He couldn’t say it. Couldn’t say that he couldn’t go out there. It was a standing joke on the Alsatia that he never said no to anything but he couldn’t go back onto the station. It had been hot enough the last time they were here. Sean was out there now, buddying it up with a bounty hunter chum and probably arguing about how they were going to blow the twenty six million.

  “You can play poker?” Elliott said.

  “Yes,” he admitted. He had a freaking eidetic memory – he could beat anyone at poker.

  “So how much do you need?”

  “At the Reo? A hundred thousand minimum.”

  Elliott held out his hand, beckoning. “You have a credit stick?”

  He did but he didn’t have a hundred thousand.

  Elliott just smiled and said again, “Credit stick?”

  LC groaned and dug a stick out of his pocket. It didn’t have much left on it.

  Elliott took it and plugged it into the console. LC watched as it filled up with credit. Gallagher might not have much money but Elliott obviously had no trouble accessing cash from somewhere.

  “There you go,” Elliott said. He held it up between them for a moment then tossed it across. “Go get them, Mr Anderton. Maybe the universe does revolve around you after all.”

  Chapter 15

  The Man moved his knight. “It was known that Anderton had a contact on Sten’s World, was it not?”

  He left the rest of the question unspoken. NG knew exactly what he was hinting at. Why hadn’t the guild had someone there watching Olivia? They could have retrieved LC as soon as he set foot on the orbital.

  “We had people there,” he admitted. They’d even sent a team to Kheris in the unlikely event that LC had decided to go home. “They missed him.”

  The flame flickered.

  “Twice,” the Man stated simply.

  NG took a sip of the wine. It was difficult to concede that his people had made mistakes. At the time, they’d been searching the entire galaxy, for LC and Hilyer, as well as battling internal dissension and fending off attacks from outside agencies.

  He swirled the cup and watched the wine splash and surge against the smooth metal surface. There was no point being defensive. The vapours rose, the scent of the spiced wine swirling in soft eddies. Sten’s World was a squalid cesspit of a colony. The guild had little influence there and their investigations had been hampered by the instinctive, shutters-down paranoia that was inbred on the orbital. He’d never understood why LC had such an affinity for the place. But it didn’t take much to see why it was the perfect place to hide.

  “Not so perfect,” the Man interjected, “as I understand.”

  “No,” NG said, “not once half the galaxy’s bounty hunters had descended on it.”

  •

  LC stood in the shadows high up on the balcony that ran parallel to the main concourse of the Avantine. Behind the bustle of the docks and the row of bars that fronted the port area, Sten’s World station had an underlying business district tucked discretely behind the thin veneer of legitimate commercial activity. On the Avantine, if you knew the right people, you could get hold of anything.

  It had been hard work to get this far without running into trouble and he watched for a while, letting the music drown out the buzz in his head, uncomfortable at the closeness of so many people milling around down there. The balcony was narrow, the Avantine itself not much wider, and doorways and staircases filled every space.

  A girl brushed past, barely dressed in a skimpy red affair, catching hold of LC’s hand as she squeezed by. “Hey,” she whispered, “this is no place to be standing alone.”

  She had a tiny red star tattooed just behind her left ear. He let her pull him along and she took him through the nearest doorway, dancing her way through the throng of people to the bar. There was a sweet scent of narcotics in the air mixed in with the pungent stench of sweating bodies. She got the bartender’s attention straight away as if the guy had been waiting for her to appear and she ordered for both of them, taking the drinks and leaving LC to pay, five times as much as it was worth.

  He knew the drill and smiled, clinking glasses and not resisting as she put an arm around his waist. “So where are you headed?” she breathed into his neck.

  That was the routine. You didn’t walk into the depths of the Avantine – you were escorted and there was a price.

  “I have a date at the Reo.”

  She looked at him through long blue eyelashes with disappointment. “You don’t want to go to the Reo,” she said, voice husky and almost hypnotic. “I know somewhere far more fun. Come play with me.”

  LC knocked back the rum in one and shook his head. “Olivia’ll be waiting.”

  The girl rolled her eyes like she knew she was out of her depth and laughed. “Come on then,” impatient, now she knew who he was associated with, to ditch him and latch onto the next punter.

  She took his hand and dragged him through the crowd to a back door that led to steep steps winding down onto the concourse. It was weird but he felt safer in here than out on the docks. The guild had no standing here but there was still a kind of honour amongst these lowlifes. Even so, he didn’t let down his guard; if they found out how much he was worth, it would be a different matter.

  The girl in red took him to the door of the Reo and waited for her tip, standing on tiptoes to give him a parting kiss. He paid up and turned to the two doormen, spreading his hands to let them frisk him. They took the gun and gave him a chit without a word, standing aside once they were satisfied and letting him in.

  The Reo was even more crowded and the music was a beat that thumped in time with his heart. He pushed through to the bar, ignoring the growing noise inside his head. Two more fast shots of rum staved off a trembling in his knees that was threatening to spread and he waved over for a third.

  He froze as a hand ran up his back to grasp his neck and he tensed slightly before he recognised her, the familiar perfume as much of a giveaway as the thoughts tumbling from the mind that was nuzzling up so close.

  “My god, Tigs,” she whispered. “I thought I was never going to see you again.”

  LC grinned and took hold of Olivia in a hug that felt like he was holding onto a lifeline.

  He had a feeling that she’d known something was wrong the last time he was here. He wasn’t usually in such a state when he landed on her doorstep but she’d told him she didn’t want to know, which was fine by him. She’d simply kissed him and told him to be careful, like she always did when he skipped out.

  She was the one that broke the hug, holding him close still but pulling back just enough to look at him. She ran a hand gently along his cheek.

  “You haven’t come to see me,” she said suddenly, suspiciously, and he could have sworn that she could read his mind. Maybe he wasn’t the only one with this affliction after all.

  “Business,” he replied, still smiling. When he was with Olivia, he could forget everything – the war he’d grown up in the middle of, the guild that had bought his soul, and the damned package. Hil had never understood. If Hil wanted to hide away, he ran to the guild. LC had always run out here. When they both needed to bug out, they went to Pen and that’s wh
at they should have done this time. Gone there together instead of going after the package then maybe Mendhel would still be alive.

  He looked at Olivia and the petulant put-on pout she was trying to fool him with. She was wearing a black dress that left nothing to the imagination and an elaborate string of diamonds he hadn’t seen before.

  He hugged her again and whispered in her ear, “You have a game on here. I need in.”

  She dug a hand into his ribs and whispered back, “You can’t afford it.”

  LC slipped the loaded credit stick out of his pocket and into her hand.

  She checked it and looked up at him. He’d never been short of cash – the guild paid well and the tabs he ran were some of the most lucrative. But he always stayed under the radar. The amount on that stick was at least a magnitude higher than anything he’d ever wagered on a card game before. And she knew it.

  “Liv, I need you to do something for me.”

  She looked suspicious again and narrowed her eyes. She looked beautiful.

  “What are you into, Tigs?” She didn’t usually ask but then he didn’t usually turn up asking to gatecrash one of her backroom games. And he could feel that she was worried about him. More than usual.

  “I have two friends here that need looking after.”

  He told her about Gallagher and Thom and she nodded. “Will I see you afterwards?”

  LC pulled her forward and kissed her without replying.

  She shrugged him off. “God, Tigs, you’re incorrigible. Be careful in there. And if that’s not your money to throw away, don’t come running to me when you lose.”

  She disappeared for ten minutes then came back with a smile he could tell was forced and led him through the back into a private area that was quiet except for the muted thumping of the bass filtering from the bar. The deck was bare metal, no frills. They went up some narrow stairs and onto a landing.

  “Three people have crashed out of this game already,” she said quietly as they walked, “including your friend. You know how high the stakes are. You should know there’s a waiting list running downstairs. I had to use some hefty favours to get you in. Don’t upset anyone in there.” She squeezed his hand. “Why are you limping?”

  She didn’t miss much. She was thinking that his hand felt hot and wondering if she could get off early when he was done. He almost blushed at some of the other things he was overhearing and tried to even his step. He didn’t think he’d been limping that noticeably.

  She pulled him to a stop before they reached a door that was being guarded by two huge bruisers. “I don’t like this but I know there’s no point arguing with you. Your friends are with two of my girls – we’ll keep them happy. And don’t worry, they don’t know you’re here.”

  LC said, “Thank you,” and kissed the side of her neck. There was no tattoo there, she didn’t belong to anyone.

  “You’re a liability,” she replied and whispered into his ear, “People are asking around after someone who sounds a lot like you, Tigs. What have you got yourself into?”

  She wouldn’t give him up, he knew that for certain, but she was unnerved by it. He shouldn’t have been surprised that she’d heard something with this many bounty hunters around. Olivia’s business was knowing everyone else’s business and she did it very well. He knew that she liked having him around because he had nothing to do with this place and she could relax with him. Except now that safe anonymity might be gone for good and he could feel that she was unsettled. He couldn’t tell if she knew about the twenty six million.

  She stared at him then pulled away abruptly. “Go play cards, Tigger. Come find me when you’re done.”

  She turned and walked away, heels clicking on the metal floor.

  The two bouncers stepped aside as he approached, one of them gesturing him to adopt the position. He let them search without arguing. Once satisfied, they let him into a small anteroom where a clerk was waiting behind a tiny barred window. The credit stick checked out and he was handed a stack of chips. It was cold in there like the inside of an airlock and when the guy nodded, there was an audible click and the far door eased open.

  He walked through into a smoky room that was warm and humid. The door clicked shut behind him and as far as he could see there was no other way out. If anyone in here recognised him, he was well and truly trapped.

  LC dampened down an itch of panic and controlled his breathing. He’d never played a backroom game here before but he’d been playing poker since the age of nine when he’d been caught out in a thunderstorm after curfew and a gunship crew had taken him in after they’d been grounded. They’d got him drunk and taught him to gamble with bullets lined up in neat rows. Years after that, he’d practised the finer points of counting and manipulating the cards with Mendhel and Pen. Whatever these half-bit mobsters had going here was nothing he hadn’t beaten a thousand times. And that was before he could hear what people were thinking.

  He sat at the vacant seat and placed the chips in neat piles on the green in front of him. There were three guys and one woman sitting around the table. No one else in the room. And no one said a word until he was settled and looked up.

  The guy holding the deck, shuffling the cards in fast snappy flicks, had slicked back black hair. He didn’t stop cutting the cards as he cast a sly glance at LC and said, hard and fast, “Aces high, no holds, minimum drop two thou. House rule,” he added casually, “is all or nothing. You don’t walk ’til you’re done.”

  LC nodded. There were no introductions, no names. One of the guys was nervous, twitching like he wanted to leave, sipping at a squat glass of golden liquor and wondering what had gone wrong. An older man opposite looked calm, smug almost, and he looked over at LC with way too much interest. What were the chances a bounty hunting son of a bitch would be sitting at the table? LC stared back and decided he was being paranoid.

  The woman opposite the dealer was stunning. Long blonde hair and pale pink lips. She lit a cigar, blew a perfect smoke ring and slid a tumbler across the table to LC, topping up everyone’s drinks. They all lifted their glasses then, no toast but to the cards, and as he drank, he could taste the bitterness, subtle and probably not something he would have noticed if he hadn’t been expecting it.

  He glanced around as he drained the glass. The dealer and the blonde with the cigar were the ones in control, not obviously together outwardly but he could tell they were working the trick in tandem.

  The black haired guy holding the deck for that deal had the most chips, Mr Twitchy the least and as cards began to fly across the table, LC felt his head spin slightly, chest restricting and the knot spasming in his spine.

  Chapter 16

  “Have you brought her in?”

  “No.” NG was cradling his goblet, trying to make the wine in his cup last, not sure he could handle much more.

  The Man frowned, drinking steadily and expecting NG to keep up. “I can see why Legal considers her such a risk.”

  NG forced a smile. Legal could be a vindictive bitch who didn’t like to be thwarted. Once it was clear that Acquisitions was out of bounds, she’d switched her attack and tried to discredit every contact Anderton and Hilyer had ever made outside the guild. “There was no reason to bring Olivia in,” NG said. “We cleared her. LC was careful. She knows nothing to connect LC to us. She doesn’t even know his real name.”

  “What do we know of her?”

  That was a far more pertinent question. NG raised the goblet to his lips and drank. The wine was keeping its heat, steam still rising. He looked down at the board, tracking the consequences of possible moves.

  “She runs a successful escort agency on Sten’s World station. Legitimate as far as business is ever legitimate there. She’s highly respected, has no enemies that would dare move against her without drawing wrath from her supporters and is very fond of LC.”

  “And?” the Man said, knowing fine well what NG was avoiding.

  “She’s the youngest daughter of Ennio Ostrab
an. There’s no way we could bring her in, even if we wanted to.”

  •

  They all pushed forward the two thousand ante.

  Someone had refilled his glass. He downed that in one, feeling the liquor and whatever the hell it was they were doping him with hit his bloodstream. It was subtle but potent. After weeks of trying to get drunk, this was the one time he needed to keep a clear head. Christ, how ironic. Whatever Elliott had thrown at him on the ship had had no effect and he’d been thinking this might be the same but he could feel his nervous system hiccup at the hit. He was going to have to work fast.

  Mr Twitchy laughed nervously and LC looked up to see the guy watching him. “If you’re going at it like that,” he said, “why don’t you throw your stack over to me now, huh? Make it less painful on yourself. Hell, I could do with a break.” He looked at the dealer. “What are you doing to me?”

  The dealer smiled and nodded to Mr Calm on his left who tossed in one card and kept his face expressionless as he picked up its replacement. It was a king; LC could read it in the guy’s mind, clear as day. They were all concentrating so intently on their hands, he could see their thoughts, that intensity of focus making it as easy as if he was looking over their shoulders. Damn, this might work after all.

  LC threw in two cards and got back an eight and a three and it went on, each round followed by a round of bets. They were all going conservative, like they wanted to gauge the new guy at the table before getting back to business.

  The pair running the hustle weren’t house staff. It wouldn’t be good for business. Olivia probably didn’t even know it was going on. He’d never seen it here before. Never looked and never cared. Until it happened to someone he’d somehow come to think of as family, as much as Mend and Pen and Hil had ever been. How the hell had Gallagher managed that?